Generations Sandstorm is revealed with about a third of Springer’s parts changed, and Exvee is thrilled. With seven people on the show, the crew trades notes on the finicky Springer and Blitzwing and pitches a G2 Dreadwing. They also cover a Japanese Skywarp, the Collectors’ Club delays and Masterpiece Prowl and Bluestreak slipping to the fall. Aimee and Nicole review the Prime episode “Sick Mind,” and Rob Springer looks ahead to Hasbro’s 30th anniversary plans.
News
Generations Sandstorm Revealed as a Major Springer Retool
Exvee says Hasbro’s Kaid revealed on the AllSpark that about a third of Springer’s parts are new for Sandstorm. Turning a helicopter into a tilt-rotor takes a big overhaul. The crew thinks Hasbro planned the retool carefully during Springer’s long development, with separate molds for each character’s outer parts. One host is glad he has Springer but will definitely pick up Sandstorm. [Source: TFW2005]
Owners Weigh In on Generations Springer and Blitzwing
One host’s Springer is stuck partway because the car mode will not line up, and others agree it is finicky. The robot mode looks great, though one host wishes Springer were bulkier. One host calls Blitzwing floppy and hard to line up, while another has had a fairly positive experience with it. For a Blitzwing remold, the crew pitches Flywheels, a Quickswitch-style triple changer and Overcharge. Big Bad Toy Store expects its delayed restock within two weeks. [Source: not found]
G2 Dreadwing and the IDW-Inspired Generations Deluxes
A G2 Dreadwing is coming as a remold of the IDW-inspired Megatron. Don would rather see the G2 Dreadwing reissued, but the crew argues the old toy does not hold up. Another host says Blitzwing should have been the Dreadwing mold, since both change between jet and tank. One host plans to pass on most of the first IDW deluxe wave and notes Bumblebee is already discounted at Big Bad Toy Store. The crew guesses the Orion Pax mold could become Dion or Ironhide. Matt in the chat suggests Thunderclash, which leads to a debate over why fans want obscure G1 characters. [Source: Seibertron]
Generations Thundercracker and a Japanese Skywarp
Thundercracker is coming, and Japan gets a Skywarp in purple and medium gray instead of black. One host has no interest in paying $35 for it. Another warns Hasbro is shying away from the dark plastic some characters need. [Source: not found]
Generations Hoist Confirmed by the Metroplex Box
The Metroplex box confirmed Hoist as the Trailcutter repaint. The crew likes how his tow boom folds into a rifle. They list the 1984 and 1985 cars still waiting for better updates, including Ironhide, Ratchet and a new Prowl set. [Source: not found]
Collectors’ Club Delays and Fun Publications
The club figure and the subscription service now look like September arrivals, after BotCon. Don has tried to support Fun Publications for years but says these delays will not help anyone’s view of them. The crew still wants Ultra Mammoth, and one host jokes about early sign-ups for Subscription Service 2.0 before the first set ships. [Source: not found]
Masterpiece Prowl and Bluestreak Pushed Back
The Masterpiece Prowl and Bluestreak releases have been pushed to September and October. The crew applauds Takara for announcing it now instead of in July, and expects US Masterpiece Soundwave news at Comic-Con. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Prime Retro Review: Sick Mind
Aimee and Nicole review the first half of a two-parter. Ratchet locates the Nemesis just as an Autobot distress beacon leads Optimus Prime to a plague ship. Optimus catches the Cybonic Plague, a weapon engineered by Megatron himself. Arcee and Bumblebee sneak aboard the Nemesis and find Megatron alive on life support. Bumblebee uses a cortical psychic patch to enter Megatron’s mind, which looks like Kaon. Both hosts praise how Bumblebee gets the cure by reminding Megatron he wants to defeat Optimus himself. They also like the Knockout and Starscream scheming and the creepy ending, with Megatron’s eyes glowing inside Bumblebee’s head.
Rob Springer Answers Listener Questions
Listener Antoine asks several questions. Rob says nobody knows yet what the rumored SDCC Metroplex exclusive will be. He likes the new Generations line for the 30th anniversary, especially the Legends with Targetmaster partners. He hopes they branch out to less obvious characters, like Chromedome. He hopes Beast Hunters and Generations can share shelf space. He expects the next cartoon to stay in the Aligned continuity, perhaps with a Fall of Cybertron look. He would rather the IDW comics stay separate from any cartoon.
BotCon Versus Comic-Con Reveals
The crew debates why Hasbro saves its biggest reveals for San Diego Comic-Con instead of BotCon. JD argues it is simply business. Transformers now reaches a far bigger audience than longtime fans, and a single Comic-Con panel can draw as many people as all of BotCon. Others point out that last year’s SDCC exclusives were announced at BotCon, and they expect the reveal any time now.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.